The LL.M and Legal English

Legal English UK helps hundreds of lawyers and law students to further their knowledge of Legal English before taking an LLM degree. In this article, we explore how we help students before embarking on the next phase in their academic career.

Enrico, a lawyer based in the City of London is considering the LL.M (Master of Laws) after taking a language course with one of our teachers recently: "It would add greater value to my CV" he says and will probably take the course next year. The LL.M is an internationally recognised postgraduate law degree that can be taken in many universities in the UK and the US.

The LL.M. is traditionally a one-year degree, and many universities urge international students to take a Legal English language course first in order to develop a deeper understanding of English along with English law.

Intense Competition

Competition is intense in the legal field, especially with an increasingly international work force where legal professionals must know English and understand foreign legal systems in order to compete with native speakers.

"Legal work is becoming extraordinarily global and complex,” says Christopher J Mitchell, Head of Language Training at Legal English UK, “and to communicate confidently, one has to be able to speak English well enough to collaborate or negotiate with American or British lawyers. You have to be able to participate fluidly and effectively as your clients will demand it.”

"If your aspiration is to have an international law practice with clients across continents, you simply have to be adept in legal English."

World-class courses

Legal English language courses will typically cover coursework, academic writing skills, practice skills and focus on the common law. The latter is particularly important as many students learning legal English hail from civil law systems such as Italy and Spain and they need to be properly equipped to understand the way the legal system works in the United Kingdom.

Tiffany Bennett, adjunct professor of legal writing at Penn State Law states: "I think that there's a gap that needs to be filled between students that study in traditional intensive English programs where they get the English skills they need but not the legal English skills they need," Bennett says.

Vital tuition

It is important to note that programs such as the ones provided by Legal English UK are not just about improving a student's English. They also help students develop skills in cultural awareness of the United Kingdom and familiarise students with the English legal system.

Enrico agrees that one-to-one lessons are essential to understanding Legal English. "Having the space and time to improve is important. It gives me a realy opportunity to explore the law, the culture and the language with confidence."

For more information on language courses for lawyers, please e-mail us, telephone 020 3566 0145 or fill in the form on this screen.